Governor Bello: Determined to protect the forest

Richard Elesho/ Lokoja

The Kogi state Government is to set up a committee to check abitrary and illegal felling of trees in all the forest reserves across the state.

The state commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Rosemary Osikoya disclosed this while briefing journalists at the end of the weekly state executive council meeting in Lokoja.

The commissioner also told Newsmen that the state government has placed a fine of N1.5million per truck on any body arrested in the act of deforestation of the reserves.

She condemned the destruction of 36 designated Forest Reserves across the state, assuring that government will not relent in its efforts to check the ugly trend.

Osikoya informed journalists that the council approved the recruitment of 100 Forest Guards to manage the designated forest reserves in the three senatorial districts of the state.

The Director-General Media and Publicity to Governor Yahaya Bello, Kingsley Fanwo who also spoke to journalists, reiterated the council’s resolve to ensure that transanction of government business in the state followed due process in order to boost transparency and accountability in the system.

He also intimated Newsmen of the council’s resolution to retrive all government vehicles that were illegally taken away by the immediate past political appointees.

The Director-General expressed the council’s appreciation on the recent visit of Governor Yahaya Bello to some companies in Jamany to seek their collaboration towards the development of the state.
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